Barrier layers for silver reflective coatings and HPC workflows for rapid screening of materials for such barrier layers

ABSTRACT

Provided is High Productivity Combinatorial (HPC) testing methodology of semiconductor substrates, each including multiple site isolated regions. The site isolated regions are used for testing different compositions and/or structures of barrier layers disposed over silver reflectors. The tested barrier layers may include all or at least two of nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum. In some embodiments, the barrier layers include oxygen. This combination allows using relative thin barrier layers (e.g., 5-30 Angstroms thick) that have high transparency yet provide sufficient protection to the silver reflector. The amount of nickel in a barrier layer may be 5-10% by weight, chromium—25-30%, titanium and aluminum—30%-35% each. The barrier layer may be co-sputtered in a reactive or inert-environment using one or more targets that include all four metals. An article may include multiple silver reflectors, each having its own barrier layer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a Continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/801,635, filed on Mar. 13, 2013, which is herein incorporated byreference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the use of high productivitycombinatorial (HPC) techniques for the development of rapid screening ofmaterials for barrier layers used to protect silver reflective coatingsas well as compositions and structures of the barrier layers andarticles including these layers. High Productivity Combinatorial™ andHPC™ are trademarks of Intermolecular, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Metallic silver has many different applications because of its highelectrical conductivity and reflectivity of infrared light. For example,metallic silver layers are frequently used in low emissivity (low-E)glass coatings. The thermal efficiency of window glass may besignificantly improved by applying one or more silver reflective layersthat do not let some of radiant infrared energy pass through the glass.As such, the radiant heat is kept on the same side of the glass fromwhich it originated, while letting visible light pass. This effectresults in more efficient windows because radiant heat originating fromindoors in winter is reflected back inside preserving the heat where itis needed. On the other hand, the infrared heat generated by the sunduring summer is reflected away, keeping the inside of the buildingcooler.

SUMMARY

Provided is High Productivity Combinatorial (HPC) testing methodology ofsemiconductor substrates, each including multiple site isolated regions.The site isolated regions are used for testing different compositionsand/or structures of barrier layers disposed over silver reflectors. Thetested barrier layers may include all or at least two of nickel,chromium, titanium, and aluminum. In some embodiments, the barrierlayers include oxygen. This combination allows using relative thinbarrier layers (e.g., 5-30 Angstroms thick) that have high transparencyyet provide sufficient protection to the silver reflector. The amount ofnickel in a barrier layer may be 5-10% by weight, chromium—25-30%,titanium and aluminum—30%-35% each. The barrier layer may beco-sputtered in a reactive or inert-environment using one or moretargets that include all four metals. An article may include multiplesilver reflectors, each having its own barrier layer.

In some embodiments, a method for high productivity combinatorialtesting of semiconductor substrates involves providing a substrateinclude a reflective layer. The substrate includes multiplesite-isolated regions defined thereon, each including a portion of thereflective layer. The substrate may be a glass sheet or any othersuitable substrate. The reflective layer includes metallic silver. Insome embodiments, the reflective layer may be formed from silver. Thethickness of the reflective layer may be between 50 Angstroms and 200Angstroms. The method may proceed with forming a barrier layer over thereflective layer in each one of the multiple site-isolated regions. Thecomposition and/or thickness of the barrier layer is varied in acombinatorial manner between each of the site-isolated regions. Thebarrier layer in each of the site isolated regions may include at leasttwo of nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum. In some embodiments,some site isolated regions include all four of these metals. In someembodiments, the barrier layer also includes oxygen. The barrier layeris configured to protect metallic silver in the reflective layer fromoxidation during processing and operation of the article. Specifically,the barrier layer is configured to protect metallic silver duringdeposition of additional layers over a stack including the reflectivelayer and the barrier layer, in particular during deposition ofadditional layers containing oxygen, such as metal oxides. Metallicsilver easily oxidizes, which causes degradation of variouscharacteristics of the reflective layer, such as conductivity,transparency, reflectivity, and the like.

In some embodiments, a combined concentration of nickel and chromium inthe barrier layer is between 20% by weight and 50% by weight or, morespecifically, between 30% by weight and 40% by weight. The rest may betitanium and aluminum. In some embodiments, the barrier layer does notinclude any components other than nickel, chromium, titanium, andaluminum. A weight ratio of nickel to chromium may be between 3 and 5or, more specifically, about 4. A weight ratio of titanium to aluminumis between 0.5 and 2 or, more specifically, about 1. In someembodiments, nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum are uniformlydistributed throughout the barrier layer. Other distributions of thesefour metals are possible as well. For example, one or more of thesemetals may have higher concentration at the interface with thereflective layer than in other parts of the barrier layer.

In some embodiments, the barrier layer has a thickness of between 1Angstroms and 100 Angstroms on average or, more specifically, between 5Angstroms and 30 Angstroms or even between 10 Angstroms and 20Angstroms. The barrier layer may be deposited using physical vapordeposition (PVD). Other deposition techniques may be used as well. Insome embodiments, the barrier layer is deposited using co-sputtering ofnickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum.

In some embodiments, the method also involved depositing a seed layerbetween the substrate and the reflective layer. The seed layer maydirectly interface the reflective layer. The seed layer may include oneof ZnO, SnO₂, Sc₂O₃, Y₂O₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂, HfO₂, V₂O₅, Nb₂O₅, Ta₂O₅, CrO₃,WO₃, or MoO₃ in a crystalline phase. In some embodiments, the methodalso involves depositing a dielectric layer between the seed layer andthe substrate or disposed over the barrier layer. The dielectric layermay include one of TiO₂, SnO₂, or ZnSn in an amorphous phase. Thedielectric layer may include a dopant, such as Al, Ga, In, Mg, Ca, Sr,Sb, Bi, Ti, V, Y, Zr, Nb, Hf, Ta, or combinations thereof. Thecompositions and/or thicknesses of the dielectric and/or seed layer maybe varied in a combinatorial manner in some embodiments.

Provided are articles including silver reflectors for low emissionglass, light emitting diode, optical reflector, and other likeapplications. In some embodiments, the article includes a substrate, areflective layer disposed over the substrate, and a barrier layerdisposed over the reflective layer. The substrate may be a glass sheetor any other suitable substrate. The reflective layer includes metallicsilver. The barrier layer comprising nickel, chromium, titanium, andaluminum. In some embodiments, the barrier layer also includes oxygen.The barrier layer is configured to protect metallic silver in thereflective layer from oxidation during processing and operation of thearticle. Specifically, the barrier layer is configured to protectmetallic silver during deposition of additional layers over a stackincluding the reflective layer and the barrier layer, in particularduring deposition of additional layers containing oxygen, such as metaloxides. Metallic silver easily oxidizes, which causes degradation ofvarious characteristics of the reflective layer, such as conductivity,transparency, reflectivity, and the like.

In some embodiments, the article includes an additional reflective layerdisposed over the barrier layer and an additional barrier layer disposedover the additional reflective layer. The additional reflective layermay include metallic silver, while the additional barrier layer mayinclude nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum. In some embodiments,the additional reflective layer has the same composition and/orthickness as the reflective layer. The additional barrier layer may havethe same composition and/or thickness as the barrier layer. In someembodiments, a dielectric layer may be provided in between thereflective layer and the additional reflective layer.

In some embodiments, an article includes a substrate, a bottom diffusionlayer disposed over the substrate, a bottom dielectric layer disposedover the bottom diffusion layer, a seed layer disposed over the bottomdielectric layer, a reflective layer disposed over and directlyinterfacing the seed layer, a barrier layer disposed over and directlyinterfacing the reflective layer, a top dielectric layer disposed overthe barrier layer, and a top diffusion layer disposed over the topdielectric layer. The bottom diffusion layer may include siliconnitride, while the bottom dielectric layer may include one of TiO₂,SnO₂, or ZnSn in an amorphous phase. The bottom dielectric layer mayhave a thickness of between 100 Angstroms and 300 Angstroms. The seedlayer may include one of ZnO, SnO₂, Sc₂O₃, Y₂O₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂, HfO₂, V₂O₅,Nb₂O₅, Ta₂O₅, CrO₃, WO₃, or MoO₃ in a crystalline phase. The seed layermay have a thickness of between 50 Angstroms and 200 Angstroms. Thereflective layer may include metallic silver and have a thickness ofbetween 50 Angstroms and 200 Angstroms. The barrier layer may includenickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum. The concentration of nickel inthe barrier layer may be between about 5% by weight and 10% by weight,while the concentration of chromium in the barrier layer may be betweenabout 25% by weight and 30% by weight. The concentration of titanium inthe barrier layer may be between about 30% by weight and 35% by weight,while the concentration of aluminum in the barrier layer may be betweenabout 30% by weight and 35% by weight. In some embodiments, theconcentration of nickel in the barrier layer may be between about 5% byweight and 20% by weight, while the concentration of chromium in thebarrier layer may be between about 15% by weight and 40% by weight. Theconcentration of titanium in the barrier layer may be between about 20%by weight and 40% by weight, while the concentration of aluminum in thebarrier layer may be between about 20% by weight and 40% by weight.

The barrier layer may be configured to protect metallic silver of thereflective layer from oxidation during processing and operation of thearticle. The top dielectric layer may include one of TiO₂, SnO₂, or ZnSnin an amorphous phase. The top dielectric layer may have a thickness ofbetween 50 Angstroms and 1000 Angstroms or, more specifically, between100 Angstroms and 300 Angstroms. The top diffusion layer may includesilicon nitride.

Provided also a method of forming an article. The method may involveproviding a substrate, forming a reflective layer over the substrate,forming a barrier layer over the reflective layer, and forming adielectric layer over the barrier layer. The reflective layer is formedby sputtering silver in a non-reactive environment. The barrier layermay be formed by co-sputtering nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminumin the same or different reactive or non-reactive environment. In someembodiments, the environment used during formation of the reflectivelayer is maintained until the barrier layer is formed. At least, thereflective layer may not be exposed to an oxidizing environment untilthe barrier layer is formed. The dielectric layer may be formed bysputtering titanium or tin in an oxygen containing environment. Thebarrier layer prevents oxygen in the oxygen containing environment fromreach and reacting with metallic silver in the reflective layer.

These and other embodiments are described further below with referenceto the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To facilitate understanding, the same reference numerals have been used,where possible, to designate common components presented in the figures.The drawings are not to scale and the relative dimensions of variouselements in the drawings are depicted schematically and not necessarilyto scale. Various embodiments can readily be understood by consideringthe following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an article including a substrateand a stack of layers including one reflective layer disposed over thesubstrate, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of another article including asubstrate and a stack of layers including two reflective layers disposedover the substrate, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of yet another article including asubstrate and a stack of layers including three reflective layersdisposed over the substrate, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a process flowchart corresponding to a method for forming anarticle including a reflective layer and a barrier layer for protectingmaterials in this reflective layer from oxidation, in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a plot of a total transmission and a sheet resistance as afunction of a combined concentration of nickel and chrome in the barrierlayers.

FIG. 6 is a plot of a silver index measured at two different wavelengthsas a function of a combined concentration of nickel and chrome in thebarrier layers.

FIG. 7 is a plot of a total transmission of a stack including a barrierlayer and a reflective layer as a function of the barrier layerthickness.

FIG. 8 is a plot of a sheet resistance of a stack including a barrierlayer and a reflective layer as a function of the barrier layerthickness.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for implementing combinatorial processingand evaluation.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for illustrating various processsequences using combinatorial processing and evaluation.

FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic diagram of a combinatorial PVD systemaccording to some embodiments described herein.

FIG. 12 illustrates a schematic diagram of a substrate that has beenprocessed in a combinatorial manner.

FIG. 13 illustrates a schematic diagram of a combinatorial ALDshowerhead according to some embodiments described herein.

FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate schematic diagrams of the use of acombinatorial ALD showerhead according to some embodiments describedherein.

FIG. 15 illustrates a schematic diagram of a cluster system according tosome embodiments described herein.

FIGS. 16A-16C are schematic diagrams illustrating various processsequences using combinatorial processing.

FIGS. 17A-17C are schematic diagrams illustrating various processsequences using combinatorial processing and evaluation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A detailed description of various embodiments is provided below alongwith accompanying figures. The detailed description is provided inconnection with such embodiments, but is not limited to any particularexample. The scope is limited only by the claims and numerousalternatives, modifications, and equivalents are encompassed. Numerousspecific details are set forth in the following description in order toprovide a thorough understanding. These details are provided for thepurpose of example and the described techniques may be practicedaccording to the claims without some or all of these specific details.For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in thetechnical fields related to the embodiments has not been described indetail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description.

Introduction

The electrical conductivity, reflectivity, transparency, and otherrelevant characteristics of a silver layer in low-E and other types ofcoatings heavily depend on the quality of the layer. The qualitycharacteristics include the layer's texture, crystallinity, oxidation,and other related parameters. The oxidation of silver, in particular,should be prevented during subsequent processing, e.g., deposition of adielectric oxide layer over the silver layer, and operation of thearticle that includes the silver layer. One having ordinary skills inthe art would understand that silver is very sensitive to presence ofoxygen and can be easily oxidized. At the same time, silver oxidecharacteristics are quite different from that of metallic silver and maynegatively interfere with low-E and other applications of metallicsilver.

A barrier layer may be used to protect the silver layer. The barrierlayer may be disposed over the silver layer, in some embodiments,directly over the silver layer such that the barrier layer directlyinterfaces the silver layer and no other layers are provided in betweenthe two layers. Other layers of the stack (e.g., a dielectric layer, aseed layer, a diffusion layer), which may be needed for particularapplications, may be formed over the barrier layer. The barrier layerprevents oxygen from reaching the silver layer and, therefore, shouldhave good oxygen diffusion blocking characteristics. Thesecharacteristics may be described directly by, for example, specifyingoxygen permeability of the barrier layer, or indirectly by, for example,comparing performance of articles including these layers to the onesthat do not or have different layers. For example, transparency andsheet resistance may be used as two operating metrics commonly used forlow-E applications.

The barrier layer should be distinguished from other diffusion layers inthe stack that are not directly interfacing the silver layer and thatare typically formed by nitrides, such as silicon nitride. Furthermore,the barrier layer should be sufficiently transparent.

The oxygen blocking characteristics drive for thicker barrier layers,while the transparency characteristics drive for thinner ones. Thiscontradiction can be addressed, to a certain extent, by specificcompositions of the barrier layers. In some embodiments, the barrierlayers are formed from quaternary alloys, i.e., an alloy formed by fourconstituents or, more specifically, by four metals. A combination ofnickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum may be used for this type ofalloys. In some embodiments, this combination of four metals may alsoinclude oxygen. It should be noted that these alloys are different frombinary alloys conventionally used for barrier layers, such as nickelchromium alloys, nickel titanium alloys, and titanium aluminum alloys.The binary alloys demonstrated various problems, such as beingexcessively absorptive and impacting transmission of visible light,interfering with dispersion of the silver layer, diffusing into thesilver layer and increasing emissivity, difficulty in processing, andother like problems. Various experiments have been conducted todemonstrate superior performance of the quaternary alloys relative tothe conventional binary alloys as described below with reference toFIGS. 5 and 6.

The quaternary alloys described herein are used as barrier layers toprotect silver reflective layers and for improving the overalldurability of the entire low-E stack. These materials have demonstratedimproved stack emissivity, transmission and color neutrality before andafter low-E glass tempering. Various quaternary alloys, includingdifferent alloys formed by the same four metals (i.e., nickel, chromium,titanium, and aluminum) were screened using High ProductivityCombinatorial™ (HPC™) techniques (High Productivity Combinatorial™ andHPC™ are trademarks of Intermolecular, Inc.). Substantially improvedtransmission and emissivity characteristics have been identified forcertain compositions of nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum. Insome embodiments, a barrier layer includes between 5-10% by weight ofnickel, between 25-30% by weight of chrome, between 30%-35% by weight ofaluminum and between 30%-35% by weight of titanium. Other concentrationranges listed elsewhere in this disclosure may be used as well. Thesematerial combinations allow using relative thin barrier layers (e.g.,5-30 Angstroms thick) that have high transparency and still providesufficient protection to the silver reflector and have low resistivity.For example, the quaternary alloys described herein have low absorptionin visible light range. Specifically, low-e stacks that utilize thesebarrier layers can be tuned to show neutral or near neutral color. Theyalso have good adhesion to silver reflective layers. Furthermore,specific deposition conditions are provided to yield barrier layers withdesired compositions, thicknesses, conformality, and othercharacteristics.

Examples of Low-E Coatings

A brief description of low-E coatings is provided for context and betterunderstanding of various features associated with barrier layers andsilver reflective layers. One having ordinary skills in the art wouldunderstand that these barrier and silver reflective layers may be alsoused for other applications, such as light emitting diodes (LED),reflectors, and other like applications. Some characteristics of low-Ecoatings are applicable to these other applications as well. Forpurposes of this disclosure, low-E is a quality of a surface that emitslow levels of radiant thermal energy. Emissivity is the value given tomaterials based on the ratio of heat emitted compared to a blackbody, ona scale of 0 (for a perfect reflector) to 1 (for a back body). Theemissivity of a polished silver surface is 0.02. Reflectivity isinversely related to emissivity. When values of reflectivity andemissivity are added together, their total is equal 1.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an article 100 including asubstrate 102 and a stack 120 of layers 104-116, in accordance with someembodiments. Specifically, stack 120 includes one reflective layer 110disposed over substrate 102 and protected by a barrier layer 112. Otherlayers in stack 120 may include bottom diffusion layer 104, topdiffusion layer 114, bottom dielectric layer 106, top dielectric layer114, and seed layer 108. Each one of these components will now bedescribed in more details. One having ordinary skills in the art wouldunderstand that the stack may include fewer layer or more layers as, forexample, described below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

Substrate 102 can be made of any suitable material. Substrate 102 may beopaque, translucent, or transparent to the visible light. For example,for low-E applications, the substrate may be transparent. Specifically,a transparent glass substrate may be used for this and otherapplications. For purposes of this disclosure, the term “transparency”is defined as a substrate characteristic related to a visible lighttransmittance through the substrate. The term “translucent” is definedas a property of passing the visible light through the substrate anddiffusing this energy within the substrate, such that an objectpositioned on one side of the substrate is not visible on the other sideof the substrate. The term “opaque” is defined as a visible lighttransmittance of 0%. Some examples of suitable materials for substrate102 include, but are not limited to, plastic substrates, such as acrylicpolymers (e.g., polyacrylates, polyalkyl methacrylates, includingpolymethyl methacrylates, polyethyl methacrylates, polypropylmethacrylates, and the like), polyurethanes, polycarbonates, polyalkylterephthalates (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropyleneterephthalates, polybutylene terephthalates, and the like), polysiloxanecontaining polymers, copolymers of any monomers for preparing these, orany mixtures thereof. Substrate 102 may be also made from one or moremetals, such as galvanized steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. Otherexamples of substrate materials include ceramics, glass, and variousmixtures or combinations of any of the above.

Bottom diffusion layer 104 and top diffusion layer 116 may be two layersof stack 120 that protect the entire stack 120 from the environment andimprove chemical and/or mechanical durability of stack 120. Diffusionlayers 104 and 116 may be made from the same or different materials andmay have the same or different thickness. In some embodiments, one orboth diffusion layers 104 and 116 are formed from silicon nitride. Insome embodiments, silicon nitride may be doped with aluminum and/orzirconium. The dopant concentration may be between about 0% to 20% byweight. In some embodiments, silicon nitride may be partially oxidized.Silicon nitride diffusion layers may be silicon-rich, such that theircompositions may be represented by the following expression,Si_(X)N_(Y), where the X-to-Y ratio is between about 0.8 and 1.0. Therefraction index of one or both diffusion layers 104 and 116 may bebetween about 2.0 and 2.5 or, more specifically, between about 2.15 to2.25. The thickness of one or both diffusion layers 104 and 116 may bebetween about 50 Angstroms and 300 Angstroms or, more specifically,between about 100 Angstroms and 200 Angstroms.

In addition to protecting stack 120 from the environment, bottomdiffusion layer 104 may help with adhering bottom dielectric layer 106to substrate 102. Without being restricted to any particular theory, itis believed that deposition of dielectric layer 106 and in particularsubsequent heat treatment of this layer results in heat-inducedmechanical stresses at the interfaces of dielectric layer 106. Thesestresses may cause delamination of dielectric layer 106 from otherlayers and coating failure. A particular example is a titanium oxidelayer deposited directly onto the glass substrate. However, when siliconnitride diffusion layer 104 is provided between bottom dielectric layer106 and substrate 102, the adhesion within this three-layer stackremains strong as evidenced by improved durability, especially afterheat treatment.

Typically, each reflective layer provided in a stack is surrounded bytwo dielectric layers, e.g., bottom dielectric layer 106 and topdielectric layer 114 as shown in FIG. 1. Dielectric layers 106 and 114are used to control reflection characteristics of reflective layer 110as well as overall transparency and color of stack 120 and, in someembodiments, of article 100. Dielectric layers 106 and 114 may be madefrom the same or different materials and may have the same or differentthickness. In some embodiments, one or both dielectric layers 106 and114 are formed from TiO₂, ZnO, SnO₂, SiAlN, or ZnSn. In general,dielectric layers 106 and 114 may be formed from various oxides,stannates, nitrides, and/or oxynitrides. In some embodiments, one orboth dielectric layers 106 and 114 may include dopants, such as Al, Ga,In, Mg, Ca, Sr, Sb, Bi, Ti, V, Y, Zr, Nb, Hf, or Ta. Dielectric layers106 and 114 can each include different dielectric materials with similarrefractive indices or different materials with different refractiveindices. The relative thicknesses of the dielectric films can be variedto optimize thermal-management performance, aesthetics, and/ordurability of article 100.

The materials of dielectric layers 106 and 114 may be in amorphousstates, crystalline states, or a combination of two or more states.Sometimes these states are referred to as phases. In some embodiments,when stack 120 includes seed layer 108, bottom dielectric layer 106 maybe in an amorphous state. Alternatively, when stack 120 does not includeseed layer 108, bottom dielectric layer 106 may be in a crystallinestate and function as a nucleation template for overlying layers, e.g.,reflective layer 110. The thickness of dielectric layers 106 and 114 maybe between about 50 Angstroms and 1000 Angstroms or, more specifically,between 100 Angstroms and 300 Angstroms.

In some embodiments, stack 120 includes seed layer 108. Seed layer 108may be formed from ZnO, SnO₂, Sc₂O₃, Y₂O₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂, HfO₂, V₂O₅,Nb₂O₅, Ta₂O₅, CrO₃, WO₃, MoO₃, various combinations thereof, or othermetal oxides. The material of seed layer 108 may be in a crystallinestate. Seed layer 108 may function as a nucleation template foroverlying layers, e.g., reflective layer 110. In some embodiments, thethickness of seed layer 108 is between about 50 Angstroms and 200Angstroms, such as about 100 Angstroms.

Stack 120 includes reflective layer 110, which is formed from silver.The thickness of this layer may be between about 50 Angstroms and 200Angstroms or, more specifically, between about 100 Angstroms and 150Angstroms.

As noted above, stack 120 also include barrier layer 112 to protectreflective layer 110 from oxidation and other damage. Barrier layer 112may be formed from a quaternary alloy that includes nickel, chromium,titanium, and aluminum. The concentration of each metal in this alloy isselected to provide adequate transparency and oxygen diffusion blockingproperties. In some embodiments, a combined concentration of nickel andchromium in the barrier layer is between about 20% by weight and 50% byweight or, more specifically, between about 30% by weight and 40% byweight. A weight ratio of nickel to chromium in the alloy may be betweenabout 3 and 5 or, more specifically, about 4. A weight ratio of titaniumto aluminum is between about 0.5 and 2, or more, specifically about 1.In some embodiments, the concentration of nickel in the barrier layer isbetween about 5% and 10% by weight, the concentration ofchromium—between about 25% and 30% by weight, the concentration oftitanium and aluminum—between about 30% and 35% by weight each. Thiscomposition of barrier layer 112 may be achieved by using one or moresputtering target containing nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum,controlling concentration of these metals in the sputtering targets, andcontrolling power levels applied to each sputtering target. For example,two sputtering targets may be used. The first target may include nickeland chromium, while the second target may include titanium and aluminum.The weight ratio of nickel to chromium in the first target may be about4, while the weight ratio of titanium to aluminum in the second targetmay be about 1. These weight ratios may be achieved by usingcorresponding alloys for the entire target, target inserts made fromdifferent materials, or other features allowing combine two or morematerials in the same target. The two targets may be exposed todifferent power levels. In the above example, the first target may beexposed to twice smaller power than the second target to achieve thedesired composition. The barrier can be deposited substantially free ofoxygen (e.g., predominantly as a metal) in the inert environment (e.g.,argon environment). Alternatively, some oxidant (e.g., 15% by volume ofO₂ in Ar) may be used to oxide the four metals. The concentration ofoxygen in the resulting barrier layer may be between about 0% and 5% byweight.

In some embodiments, nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum are alluniformly distributed throughout the barrier layer, i.e., its entirethickness and coverage area. Alternatively, the distribution ofcomponents may be non-uniform. For example, nickel and chromium may bemore concentrated along one interface than along another interface. Insome embodiments, a portion of the barrier layer near the interface withthe reflective layer includes more nickel for better adhesion to thereflective layer. In some embodiments, substantially no other componentsother than nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum are present inbarrier layer 112.

Barrier layer 112 may be amorphous metal. For purposes of thisdisclosure, an amorphous metal (also known metallic glass or glassymetal) is a solid metallic material, usually an alloy, with a disorderedatomic-scale structure.

Without being restricted to any particular theory, it is believed thatwhen the barrier layer is exposed to oxygen (e.g., during deposition ofthe top dielectric), some metals of the barrier layer (e.g., Cr, Ti, andAl) will be easily oxidized thereby consuming oxygen and preventingoxygen from penetrating through the barrier layer and reaching thereflective layer. As such, the barrier layer may be considered as ascarifying layer.

In some embodiments, barrier layer 112 has a thickness of between about1 Angstroms and 100 Angstroms or, more specifically, between about 5Angstroms and 30 Angstroms, and even between about 10 Angstroms and 20Angstroms. While larger thickness may be more desirable from oxygenbarrier perspectives, the excessive thickness may cause transparencyproblems.

Top dielectric layer 114 may be similar to bottom dielectric layer 106described above. Likewise, top diffusion layer 116 may be similar tobottom diffusion layer 104 described above. In some embodiments, topdiffusion layer 116 (e.g., formed from silicon nitride) may be morestoichiometric than bottom diffusion layer 104 to give better mechanicaldurability and give smoother surface. Bottom diffusion layer 104 (e.g.,formed from silicon nitride) can be slightly metallic to make filmdenser for better diffusion effect.

The overall stack 120 may have a sheet resistance of between about 6Ohm/square to 8 Ohm/square for a thickness of a silver reflective layerbetween 80 Angstroms and 90 Angstroms. The sheet resistance may bebetween about 2 Ohm/square to 4 Ohm/square for a thickness of a silverreflective layer between 100 Angstroms and 140 Angstroms.

In some embodiments, a stack may include multiple reflective layers inorder to achieve a specific performance. For example, the stack mayinclude two, three, or more reflective layers. The multiple reflectivelayers may have the same or different composition and/or thicknesses.Each new reflective layer may have a corresponding dielectric layer(e.g., at least one layer disposed in between two reflective layers), aseed layer, and a barrier layer. FIG. 1 illustrates a portion 118 ofstack 120 that may be repeated. Stack portion includes dielectric layer106 (or dielectric layer 114), seed layer 108, reflective layer 110, andbarrier layer 112. In some embodiments, portion 118 may not include seedlayer 108.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of another article 200 including asubstrate 201 and a stack including two reflective layers 206 and 216,in accordance with some embodiments. Each one of reflective layers 206and 216 is a part of a separate stack portion that includes otherlayers, i.e., reflective layer 206 is a part of first stack portion 210,while reflective layer 216 is a part of second stack portion 220. Otherlayers in first stack portion 210 include dielectric layer 204, seedlayer 205, and barrier layer 207. Likewise, in addition to reflectivelayer 216, second stack portion 220 includes dielectric layer 214, seedlayer 215, and barrier layer 217. It should be noted that reflectivelayers 206 and 216 are separated by only one dielectric layer 214. Theoverall article 200 also includes bottom diffusion layer 202, topdielectric layer 224, and top diffusion layer 226.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of yet another article 300 includinga substrate 301 and three reflective layers, each being a part of asseparate stack portion. Specifically, article 300 includes first stackportion 310 having reflective layer 312, second stack portion 320 havingreflective layer 322, and third stack portion 330 having reflectivelayer 332. Other layers of article 300 also bottom diffusion layer 302,top dielectric layer 334, and top diffusion layer 336.

PROCESSING EXAMPLES

FIG. 4 is a process flowchart corresponding to a method 400 of formingan article including a silver reflective layer and a barrier layer forprotecting this reflective layer from oxidation, in accordance with someembodiments. Method 400 may commence with providing a substrate duringoperation 402. In some embodiments, the provided substrate is a glasssubstrate. The substrate may include one or more previous depositedlayers. For example, the substrate may include a bottom diffusion layer,a bottom dielectric layer, and a seed layer. In some embodiments, one ofmore of these layers may not be present on the substrate. Variousexamples of these layers and substrates are described above withreference to FIG. 1.

Method 400 may proceed with forming a reflective layer over thesubstrate during operation 404 or, more specifically, over one or morelayers previously formed on the provided substrate. This operation mayinvolve sputtering silver in a non-reactive environment. The silverbarrier layer was deposited in argon environment at a pressure of 2milliTorr using 90 W power. The resulting deposition rate was about 2.9Angstroms per second. The target to substrate spacing was about 240millimeters. The thickness of the reflective layer may be between about50 Angstroms and 200 Angstroms. In some embodiments, the same reflectivelayer is provided in all site isolated regions of the substrate. Inother words, the reflective layer has the same composition and thicknessin all site isolated regions of the substrate. This uniformity may beused to provide control and vary, for example, parameters of anotherlayer.

Method 400 may proceed with forming a barrier layer over the reflectivelayer during operation 406. As noted above, the reflective layer may beformed from a quaternary alloy including nickel, chromium, titanium, andaluminum that is formed by co-sputtering of these four metals in anon-reactive environment. In some embodiments, the barrier layer isdeposited in the same processing chamber as the reflective layer withoutbreaking the vacuum in the chamber. Overall, the reflective layer needsto be protected from oxygen prior to deposition of the barrier layer. Insome embodiments, a partially fabricated article may be maintained in anoxygen-free environment after forming the reflective layer and prior toforming the barrier layer.

In some embodiments, a barrier layer is formed in a combinatorial mannersuch that one of more parameters of this layer is varied from one siteisolated region to another. For example, the composition or thethickness of the barrier layer may vary in a combinatorial manner. Thecomposition may be varied by using, for example, multiple sputteringtargets and varying a ratio of power levels applied to these targets fordifferent site isolated-regions. In one example (further describedbelow), one target may include nickel and chromium, while another targetmay include titanium and aluminum. As such, a combined concentration ofnickel and chromium may vary from 0% by weight to 100% by weight.Varying this concentration and other parameters allows finding bestperforming combinations. The composition may be also varied bycontrolling deposition environment, e.g., oxygen concentration in theenvironment. In some embodiments, the barrier layer has a differentconcentration of oxygen from one site isolated region to another.

Operation 406 may use a single sputtering target that includes all fourmetals. Alternatively, multiple targets, each including one or moremetals, may be used. When a target includes multiple metals, thesemetals may be in a form of an alloy arranged into a unified body or maybe present as separate components of the target. The composition ofmetals in the one or more targets may correspond to the desiredcomposition of the barrier layer. For example, a target including 5-10%by weight of nickel, 25-30% by weight of chromium, 30-35% by weight oftitanium, and 30-35% by weight of aluminum may be used. In someembodiments, one target may include nickel and chromium (e.g., having a4:1 weight ratio of nickel to chromium) and another target may includetitanium and aluminum (e.g., having a 1:1 weight ratio). The power levelused on the titanium-aluminum target may double of that used for thenickel-chromium level, e.g., 200 W and 100 W respectively for 3-inchtargets positioned about 12 inches away from the substrate resulting ina 2-4 Angstroms per minute deposition rate.

Method 400 may then proceed with forming a dielectric layer over thebarrier layer during operation 408. This operation may involvesputtering titanium or tin in an oxygen containing environment. Duringthis operation, the barrier layer prevents oxygen in the oxygencontaining environment from reaching and reacting with metallic silverin the reflective layer.

If another reflective layer needs to be deposited on the substrate,operations 404-408 may be repeated as indicated by decision block 410.

Experimental Results

FIG. 5 is a plot of a total transmission and a sheet resistance as afunction of a combined concentration of nickel and chrome in the barrierlayers. The concentration ranges from 0% by weight (i.e., the barrierlayer including only titanium and aluminum in a form of a binary alloy)to 100% by weight (i.e., the barrier layer including only nickel andchromium also in a form of a binary alloy). Two sputtering targets, oneincluding 50% by weight of titanium and 50% by weight of aluminum, andthe other one including 80% by weight of nickel and 20% by weight ofchromium, were used to generate all samples reflected on the plot. Assuch, weight ratios of titanium to aluminum in all samples were the same(i.e., one). Likewise, weight ratios of nickel to chromium in allsamples were the same (i.e., four). The combined concentration of nickeland chrome in the samples were varied by adjusting relative powers usedon the targets. The thickness of all samples was 10 Angstroms to 20Angstroms.

The barrier layer samples were formed over a glass substrate (i.e., 3millimeter glass) that already had a 164 Angstroms thick titanium oxidedielectric layer, a 100 Angstroms thick zinc oxide seed layer, and a 90Angstroms thick silver reflective layer. The barrier layer samples werealso covered with a 240 Angstroms thick zinc-tin oxide. Diffusion layerswere not included in these test samples.

The test samples were analyzed for total transmission and sheetresistance. The Perkin-Elmer spectrometer was used for transmissionmeasurement such that 100% is deemed to be completely transparent, while0% is deemed to be completely opaque. CDE Resmap was used to measuresheet resistance. The results of these tests for different test samplesare presented in FIG. 5. Specifically, line 502 represents the totaltransmission ratio (corresponding to the left vertical axis), while line504 represents the sheet resistance (corresponding to the right verticalaxis). It is generally desirable to have the highest total transmissionand the lowest sheet resistance, which corresponds to emissivity, i.e.,lower sheet resistance generally corresponds to lower emissivity. Thetwo lines indicate that the combined concentration of nickel and chromeof about 30-40% by weight in the barrier layers performs the best.Furthermore, it is quite clear from FIG. 5 that quaternary alloysperform better than conventionally used binary alloys, which representedby 0% and 100% combined concentration of nickel and chromium.

The same samples were also tested for refractive index, which is in thiscontext may be referred to as a silver index. Generally, the lower valueof this index is more desirable. FIG. 6 is a plot of a silver indexmeasured at two different wavelengths as a function of the combinedconcentration of nickel and chrome in the barrier layers of thesesamples. Specifically, line 602 corresponds to tests performed using 400nm wavelength, while line 604 corresponds to tests performed using 550nm wavelength. In general, it is better to have the value of silverindex as low as possible. Even though both lines 602 and 604 indicatethat is may be beneficial to have lower combined concentrations ofnickel and chromium, nickel-chromium alloys tend to be more mechanicallydurable and adhere better to silver surfaces than titanium-aluminumalloys. Furthermore, as lines 602 and 604 indicate the effects oflowering combined concentrations of nickel and chromium diminishes below50% by weight and effectively flattens out for lower values.

Samples having different barrier thicknesses were formed using thefollowing composition: 55% of nickel, 14% of chromium, 16% of titanium,and 16% of aluminum (all by weight). The thicknesses ranged from 9Angstroms to 18 Angstroms. Similar to the samples described above, thesesamples were formed over a glass substrate having a 164 Angstroms thicktitanium oxide dielectric layer, a 100 Angstroms thick zinc oxide seedlayer, and a 90 Angstroms thick silver reflective layer below thebarrier layers and a 240 Angstroms thick zinc-tin oxide above thebarrier layers. Diffusion layers were not included in these test sampleseither. The samples were tested for total transmission and sheetresistance. Specifically, FIG. 7 is a plot of a total transmission as afunction of a barrier layer thickness, while FIG. 8 is a plot of a sheetresistance as a function of a barrier layer thickness. As the barrierlayers got thicker, the total transmission decreased, which wasexpected. However, the total transmission also decreased as the barriergot thinner, i.e., below 12 Angstroms. Without being restricted to anyparticular theory, it is believed that this particular decrease in thetotal transmission is due to partial oxygen permittivity of the thinnerbarrier layers and oxidation of the silver reflective layer, whichbecomes less transmissive as a result of the oxidation. Without beingrestricted to any particular theory, it is believed that the increase inthe sheet resistance as the barrier layer gets thicker is attributed tonickel diffusion into silver and degrading the resistance of the silverlayer electrical properties.

In should be noted that the experiments described above with referenceto FIGS. 7 and 8 were used to determine the desirable barrier thickness,which was then used in other experiments described in this section.

HPC Examples

As part of the discovery, optimization and qualification of each unitprocess, it is desirable to be able to i) test different materials, ii)test different processing conditions within each unit process module,iii) test different sequencing and integration of processing moduleswithin an integrated processing tool, iv) test different sequencing ofprocessing tools in executing different process sequence integrationflows, and combinations thereof in the manufacture of articles includingbarrier layers. In particular, there is a need to be able to test i)more than one material, ii) more than one processing condition, iii)more than one sequence of processing conditions, iv) more than oneprocess sequence integration flow, and combinations thereof,collectively known as “combinatorial process sequence integration”, on asingle monolithic substrate without the need of consuming the equivalentnumber of monolithic substrates per material(s), processingcondition(s), sequence(s) of processing conditions, sequence(s) ofprocesses, and combinations thereof. This can greatly improve both thespeed and reduce the costs associated with the discovery,implementation, optimization, and qualification of material(s),process(es), and process integration sequence(s) required formanufacturing.

Systems and methods for High Productivity Combinatorial (HPC) processingare described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,544,574 filed on Feb. 10, 2006, U.S.Pat. No. 7,824,935 filed on Jul. 2, 2008, U.S. Pat. No. 7,871,928 filedon May 4, 2009, U.S. Pat. No. 7,902,063 filed on Feb. 10, 2006, and U.S.Pat. No. 7,947,531 filed on Aug. 28, 2009 which are all hereinincorporated by reference. Systems and methods for HPC processing arefurther described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/352,077 filedon Feb. 10, 2006, claiming priority from Oct. 15, 2005, U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/419,174 filed on May 18, 2006, claiming priorityfrom Oct. 15, 2005, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/674,132 filed onFeb. 12, 2007, claiming priority from Oct. 15, 2005, and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/674,137 filed on Feb. 12, 2007, claimingpriority from Oct. 15, 2005 which are all herein incorporated byreference.

HPC processing techniques have been successfully adapted to wet chemicalprocessing such as etching and cleaning HPC processing techniques havealso been successfully adapted to deposition processes such as physicalvapor deposition (PVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and chemicalvapor deposition (CVD). However, HPC processing techniques have not beensuccessfully adapted to the development of articles including barrierlayers, particularly when barrier layers are used for protecting silverbased reflective layers.

FIG. 9 illustrates a schematic diagram 900 for implementingcombinatorial processing and evaluation using primary, secondary, andtertiary screening. The schematic diagram 900 illustrates that therelative number of combinatorial processes run with a group ofsubstrates decreases as certain materials and/or processes are selected.Generally, combinatorial processing includes performing a large numberof processes during a primary screen, selecting promising candidatesfrom those processes, performing the selected processing during asecondary screen, selecting promising candidates from the secondaryscreen for a tertiary screen, and so on. In addition, feedback fromlater stages to earlier stages can be used to refine the successcriteria and provide better screening results.

For example, thousands of materials are evaluated during a materialsdiscovery stage 902. Materials discovery stage 902 is also known as aprimary screening stage performed using primary screening techniques.Primary screening techniques may include dividing substrates intocoupons and depositing materials using varied processes. The materialsare then evaluated, and promising candidates are advanced to thesecondary screen, or materials and process development stage 904.Evaluation of the materials is performed using metrology tools such aselectronic testers and imaging tools (i.e., microscopes).

The materials and process development stage 904 may evaluate hundreds ofmaterials (i.e., a magnitude smaller than the primary stage) and mayfocus on the processes used to deposit or develop those materials.Promising materials and processes are again selected, and advanced tothe tertiary screen or process integration stage 906 where tens ofmaterials and/or processes and combinations are evaluated. The tertiaryscreen or process integration stage 906 may focus on integrating theselected processes and materials with other processes and materials.

The most promising materials and processes from the tertiary screen areadvanced to device qualification 908. In device qualification, thematerials and processes selected are evaluated for high volumemanufacturing, which normally is conducted on full substrates withinproduction tools, but need not be conducted in such a manner. Theresults are evaluated to determine the efficacy of the selectedmaterials and processes. If successful, the use of the screenedmaterials and processes can proceed to pilot manufacturing 910.

The schematic diagram 900 is an example of various techniques that maybe used to evaluate and select materials and processes for thedevelopment of new materials and processes. The descriptions of primary,secondary, etc. screening and the various stages 902-910 are arbitraryand the stages may overlap, occur out of sequence, be described and beperformed in many other ways.

This application benefits from High Productivity Combinatorial (HPC)techniques described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/674,137filed on Feb. 12, 2007 which is hereby incorporated for reference in itsentirety. Portions of the '137 application have been reproduced below toenhance the understanding of the present invention. The embodimentsdescribed herein enable the application of combinatorial techniques toprocess sequence integration in order to arrive at a globally optimalsequence of articles manufacturing operations by considering interactioneffects between the unit manufacturing operations, the processconditions used to effect such unit manufacturing operations, hardwaredetails used during the processing, as well as materials characteristicsof components utilized within the unit manufacturing operations. Ratherthan only considering a series of local optimums, i.e., where the bestconditions and materials for each manufacturing unit operation isconsidered in isolation, the embodiments described below considerinteractions effects introduced due to the multitude of processingoperations that are performed and the order in which such multitude ofprocessing operations are performed when fabricating an articlecontaining a barrier layer. A global optimum sequence order is thereforederived and as part of this derivation, the unit processes, unit processparameters, and materials used in the unit process operations of theoptimum sequence order are also considered.

The embodiments described further analyze a portion or sub-set of theoverall process sequence used to manufacture an article containing abarrier layer. Once the subset of the process sequence is identified foranalysis, combinatorial process sequence integration testing isperformed to optimize the materials, unit processes, hardware details,and process sequence used to build that portion of the device orstructure. During the processing of some embodiments described herein,structures are formed on the processed substrate that are equivalent tothe structures formed during actual production of the article containinga barrier layer. While the combinatorial processing varies certainmaterials, unit processes, hardware details, or process sequences, thecomposition or thickness of the layers or structures or the action ofthe unit process, such as cleaning, surface preparation, deposition,surface treatment, etc. is substantially uniform through each discreteregion. Furthermore, while different materials or unit processes may beused for corresponding layers or steps in the formation of a structurein different regions of the substrate during the combinatorialprocessing, the application of each layer or use of a given unit processis substantially consistent or uniform throughout the different regionsin which it is intentionally applied. Thus, the processing is uniformwithin a region (inter-region uniformity) and between regions(intra-region uniformity), as desired. It should be noted that theprocess can be varied between regions, for example, where a thickness ofa layer is varied or a material may be varied between the regions, etc.,as desired by the design of the experiment.

The result is a series of regions on the substrate that containstructures or unit process sequences that have been uniformly appliedwithin that region and, as applicable, across different regions. Thisprocess uniformity allows comparison of the properties within and acrossthe different regions such that the variations in test results are dueto the varied parameter (e.g., materials, unit processes, unit processparameters, hardware details, or process sequences) and not the lack ofprocess uniformity. In the embodiments described herein, the positionsof the discrete regions on the substrate can be defined as needed, butare preferably systematized for ease of tooling and design ofexperimentation. In addition, the number, variants and location ofstructures within each region are designed to enable valid statisticalanalysis of the test results within each region and across regions to beperformed.

FIG. 10 is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating a generalmethodology for combinatorial process sequence integration that includessite isolated processing and/or conventional processing in accordancewith one embodiment of the invention. In one embodiment, the substrateis initially processed using conventional process N. In one exemplaryembodiment, the substrate is then processed using site isolated processN+1. During site isolated processing, an HPC module may be used, such asthe HPC module described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/352,077filed on Feb. 10, 2006. The substrate can then be processed using siteisolated process N+2, and thereafter processed using conventionalprocess N+3. Testing is performed and the results are evaluated. Thetesting can include physical, chemical, acoustic, magnetic, electrical,optical, etc. tests. From this evaluation, a particular process from thevarious site isolated processes (e.g. from steps N+1 and N+2) may beselected and fixed so that additional combinatorial process sequenceintegration may be performed using site isolated processing for eitherprocess N or N+3. For example, a next process sequence can includeprocessing the substrate using site isolated process N, conventionalprocessing for processes N+1, N+2, and N+3, with testing performedthereafter.

It should be appreciated that various other combinations of conventionaland combinatorial processes can be included in the processing sequencewith regard to FIG. 10. That is, the combinatorial process sequenceintegration can be applied to any desired segments and/or portions of anoverall process flow. Characterization, including physical, chemical,acoustic, magnetic, electrical, optical, etc. testing, can be performedafter each process operation, and/or series of process operations withinthe process flow as desired. The feedback provided by the testing isused to select certain materials, processes, process conditions, andprocess sequences and eliminate others. Furthermore, the above flows canbe applied to entire monolithic substrates, or portions of monolithicsubstrates such as coupons.

Under combinatorial processing operations the processing conditions atdifferent regions can be controlled independently. Consequently, processmaterial amounts, reactant species, processing temperatures, processingtimes, processing pressures, processing flow rates, processing powers,processing reagent compositions, the rates at which the reactions arequenched, deposition order of process materials, process sequence steps,hardware details, etc., can be varied from region to region on thesubstrate. Thus, for example, when exploring materials, a processingmaterial delivered to a first and second region can be the same ordifferent. If the processing material delivered to the first region isthe same as the processing material delivered to the second region, thisprocessing material can be offered to the first and second regions onthe substrate at different concentrations. In addition, the material canbe deposited under different processing parameters. Parameters which canbe varied include, but are not limited to, process material amounts,reactant species, processing temperatures, processing times, processingpressures, processing flow rates, processing powers, processing reagentcompositions, the rates at which the reactions are quenched, atmospheresin which the processes are conducted, an order in which materials aredeposited, hardware details of the gas distribution assembly, etc. Itshould be appreciated that these process parameters are exemplary andnot meant to be an exhaustive list as other process parameters commonlyused in barrier layer manufacturing may be varied.

As mentioned above, within a region, the process conditions aresubstantially uniform, in contrast to gradient processing techniqueswhich rely on the inherent non-uniformity of the material deposition.That is, the embodiments, described herein locally perform theprocessing in a conventional manner, e.g., substantially consistent andsubstantially uniform, while globally over the substrate, the materials,processes, and process sequences may vary. Thus, the testing will findoptimums without interference from process variation differences betweenprocesses that are meant to be the same. It should be appreciated that aregion may be adjacent to another region in one embodiment or theregions may be isolated and, therefore, non-overlapping. When theregions are adjacent, there may be a slight overlap wherein thematerials or precise process interactions are not known, however, aportion of the regions, normally at least 50% or more of the area, isuniform and all testing occurs within that region. Further, thepotential overlap is only allowed with material of processes that willnot adversely affect the result of the tests. Both types of regions arereferred to herein as regions or discrete regions.

FIG. 11 is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating a sputter chamberconfigured to perform combinatorial processing and full substrateprocessing in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.Processing chamber 1100 includes a bottom chamber portion 1102 disposedunder top chamber portion 1118. Within bottom portion 1102, substratesupport 1104 is configured to hold a substrate 1106 disposed thereon andcan be any known substrate support, including but not limited to avacuum chuck, electrostatic chuck or other known mechanisms. Substratesupport 1104 is capable of both rotating around its own central axis1108 (referred to as “rotation” axis), and rotating around an exterioraxis 1110 (referred to as “revolution” axis). Such dual rotary substratesupport is central to combinatorial processing using site-isolatedmechanisms. Other substrate supports, such as an XY table, can also beused for site-isolated deposition. In addition, substrate support 1104may move in a vertical direction. It should be appreciated that therotation and movement in the vertical direction may be achieved throughknown drive mechanisms which include magnetic drives, linear drives,worm screws, lead screws, a differentially pumped rotary feed throughdrive, etc. Power source 1126 provides a bias power to substrate support1104 and substrate 1106, and produces a negative bias voltage onsubstrate 1106. In some embodiments power source 1126 provides a radiofrequency (RF) power sufficient to take advantage of the high metalionization to improve step coverage of vias and trenches of patternedwafers. In another embodiment, the RF power supplied by power source1126 is pulsed and synchronized with the pulsed power from power source1124. Further details of the power sources and their operation may befound in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/281,316 entitled “HighMetal Ionization Sputter Gun” filed on Oct. 25, 2011 and is hereinincorporated by reference for all purposes.

Substrate 1106 may be a conventional round 200 mm, 300 mm, or any otherlarger or smaller substrate/wafer size. In some embodiments, substrate1106 may be a square, rectangular, or other shaped substrate. Oneskilled in the art will appreciate that substrate 1106 may be a blanketsubstrate, a coupon (e.g., partial wafer), or even a patterned substratehaving predefined regions. In another embodiment, substrate 1106 mayhave regions defined through the processing described herein. The termregion is used herein to refer to a localized area on a substrate whichis, was, or is intended to be used for processing or formation of aselected material. The region can include one region and/or a series ofregular or periodic regions predefined on the substrate. The region mayhave any convenient shape, e.g., circular, rectangular, elliptical,wedge-shaped, etc. In the semiconductor field a region may be, forexample, a test structure, single die, multiple dies, portion of a die,other defined portion of substrate, or an undefined area of a substrate,e.g., blanket substrate which is defined through the processing.

Top chamber portion 1118 of chamber 1100 in FIG. 11 includes process kitshield 1112, which defines a confinement region over a radial portion ofsubstrate 1106. Process kit shield 1112 is a sleeve having a base(optionally integrated with the shield) and an optional top withinchamber 1100 that may be used to confine a plasma generated therein. Thegenerated plasma will dislodge atoms from a target and the sputteredatoms will deposit on an exposed surface of substrate 1106 tocombinatorial process regions of the substrate in some embodiments. Inanother embodiment, full wafer processing can be achieved by optimizinggun tilt angle and target-to-substrate spacing, and by using multipleprocess guns 1116. Process kit shield 1112 is capable of being moved inand out of chamber 1100, i.e., the process kit shield is a replaceableinsert. In another embodiment, process kit shield 1112 remains in thechamber for both the full substrate and combinatorial processing.Process kit shield 1112 includes an optional top portion, sidewalls anda base. In some embodiments, process kit shield 1112 is configured in acylindrical shape, however, the process kit shield may be any suitableshape and is not limited to a cylindrical shape.

The base of process kit shield 1112 includes an aperture 1114 throughwhich a surface of substrate 1106 is exposed for deposition or someother suitable semiconductor processing operations. Aperture shutter1120 which is moveably disposed over the base of process kit shield1112. Aperture shutter 1120 may slide across a bottom surface of thebase of process kit shield 1112 in order to cover or expose aperture1114 in some embodiments. In another embodiment, aperture shutter 1120is controlled through an arm extension which moves the aperture shutterto expose or cover aperture 1114. It should be noted that although asingle aperture is illustrated, multiple apertures may be included. Eachaperture may be associated with a dedicated aperture shutter or anaperture shutter can be configured to cover more than one aperturesimultaneously or separately. Alternatively, aperture 1114 may be alarger opening and plate 1120 may extend with that opening to eithercompletely cover the aperture or place one or more fixed apertureswithin that opening for processing the defined regions. The dual rotarysubstrate support 1104 is central to the site-isolated mechanism, andallows any location of the substrate or wafer to be placed under theaperture 1114. Hence, the site-isolated deposition is possible at anylocation on the wafer/substrate.

A gun shutter, 1122 may be included. Gun shutter 1122 functions to sealoff a deposition gun when the deposition gun may not be used for theprocessing in some embodiments. For example, two process guns 1116 areillustrated in FIG. 11. Process guns 1116 are moveable in a verticaldirection so that one or both of the guns may be lifted from the slotsof the shield. While two process guns are illustrated, any number ofprocess guns may be included, e.g., one, three, four or more processguns may be included. Where more than one process gun is included, theplurality of process guns may be referred to as a cluster of processguns. Gun shutter 1122 can be transitioned to isolate the lifted processguns from the processing area defined within process kit shield 1112. Inthis manner, the process guns are isolated from certain processes whendesired. It should be appreciated that slide cover plate 1122 may beintegrated with the top of the process kit shield 1112 to cover theopening as the process gun is lifted or individual cover plate 1122 canbe used for each target. In some embodiments, process guns 1116 areoriented or angled so that a normal reference line extending from aplanar surface of the target of the process gun is directed toward anouter periphery of the substrate in order to achieve good uniformity forfull substrate deposition film. The target/gun tilt angle depends on thetarget size, target-to-substrate spacing, target material, processpower/pressure, etc.

Top chamber portion 1118 of chamber 1100 of FIG. 11 includes sidewallsand a top plate which house process kit shield 1112. Arm extensions 1116a, which are fixed to process guns 1116 may be attached to a suitabledrive, e.g., lead screw, worm gear, etc., configured to vertically moveprocess guns 1116 toward or away from a top plate of top chamber portion1118. Arm extensions 1116 a may be pivotally affixed to process guns1116 to enable the process guns to tilt relative to a vertical axis. Insome embodiments, process guns 1116 tilt toward aperture 1114 whenperforming combinatorial processing and tilt toward a periphery of thesubstrate being processed when performing full substrate processing. Itshould be appreciated that process guns 1116 may tilt away from aperture1114 when performing combinatorial processing in another embodiment. Inyet another embodiment, arm extensions 1116 a are attached to a bellowsthat allows for the vertical movement and tilting of process guns 1116.Arm extensions 1116 a enable movement with four degrees of freedom insome embodiments. Where process kit shield 1112 is utilized, theaperture openings are configured to accommodate the tilting of theprocess guns. The amount of tilting of the process guns may be dependenton the process being performed in some embodiments. Power source 1124provides power for sputter guns 1116 whereas power source 1126 providesRF bias power to an electrostatic chuck to bias the substrate whennecessary. It should be appreciated that power source 1124 may output adirect current (DC) power supply or a radio frequency (RF) power supply.

Chamber 1100 includes auxiliary magnet 1128 disposed around an externalperiphery of the chamber. The auxiliary magnet 1128 is located in aregion defined between the bottom surface of sputter guns 1116 and a topsurface of substrate 1106. Magnet 1128 may be either a permanent magnetor an electromagnet. It should be appreciated that magnet 1128 isutilized to provide more uniform bombardment of argon ions and electronsto the substrate in some embodiments.

Using a HPC PVD module as illustrated in FIG. 11 allows a substrate tobe processed in a combinatorial manner wherein different parameters canbe varied as discussed above. Examples of the parameters compriseprocess material composition, process material amounts, reactantspecies, processing temperatures, processing times, processingpressures, processing flow rates, processing powers, processing reagentcompositions, the rates at which the reactions are quenched, atmospheresin which the processes are conducted, an order in which materials aredeposited, etc. FIG. 12 illustrates one example of a pattern ofsite-isolated regions that can be processed using a HPC PVD module inaccordance with some embodiments. In FIG. 12, the substrate is dividedinto twelve site-isolated regions 1204 on the substrate 1202. Therefore,in this example, twelve independent experiments could be performed on asingle substrate. Those skilled in the art will understand that thetwelve site-isolated regions illustrated in FIG. 12 are intended as anexample and that any number of site-isolated regions could be formed.The substrate may then be processed through a next step that may beconventional or may also be a combinatorial step as discussed earlierwith respect to FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 illustrates an example of an ALD or CVD showerhead, 1300, usedfor combinatorial processing. Details of this type of showerhead and itsuse may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/013,729 entitled“Vapor Based Combinatorial Processing” filed on Jan. 14, 2008 andclaiming priority to Provisional Application No. 130/970,199 filed onSep. 5, 2001, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/013,759 entitled“Vapor Based Combinatorial Processing” filed on Jan. 14, 2008 andclaiming priority to Provisional Application No. 130/970,199 filed onSep. 5, 2001, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/205,578 entitled“Vapor Based Combinatorial Processing” filed on Sep. 5, 2008 which is aContinuation Application of the U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/013,729 and claiming priority to Provisional Application No.130/970,199 filed on Sep. 5, 2001, all of which are herein incorporatedby reference.

The ALD or CVD showerhead 1300 illustrated in FIG. 13 comprises fourquadrants 1302 used to deposit materials on a substrate. In thisexample, four quadrants or segments have been illustrated. Those skilledin the art will understand that the showerhead can be divided into anyuseful number of segments such as 2, 4, 6, 8, or 12 segments. As anexample, in the case of a round substrate, four different materialsand/or process conditions could be used to deposit materials in each ofthe four quadrants of the substrate (not shown). Precursor gases,reactant gases, purge gases, etc. are introduced into each of the fourregions of the showerhead through gas inlet conduits 1306 a-1306 d. Forsimplicity, the four quadrants 1302 of showerhead 1300 have beenillustrated as being a single chamber. Those skilled in the art willunderstand that each quadrant 1302 of showerhead 1300 may be designed tohave two or more isolated gas distribution systems so that multiplereactive gases may be kept separated until they react at the substratesurface. Also for simplicity, on a single gas inlet conduit 1306 a-1306d is illustrated for each of the four quadrants. Those skilled in theart will understand that each quadrant 1302 of showerhead 1300 may havemultiple gas inlet conduits. The gases exit each quadrant 1302 ofshowerhead 1300 through holes 1304 in the bottom of the showerhead. Thegases then travel to the substrate surface and react at the surface todeposit a material, etch an existing material on the surface, cleancontaminants found on the surface, react with the surface to modify thesurface in some way, etc. The showerhead illustrated in FIG. 13 isoperable to be used with any of a CVD, PECVD, ALD, or PEALD technology.

FIGS. 14A and 14B illustrate schematic diagrams of the use of acombinatorial ALD showerhead according to some embodiments describedherein. In FIG. 14A, the four quadrants of the showerhead discussed withreference to FIG. 13 are illustrated, 1406 a-1406 d. As indicated, threeof the quadrants (i.e. 1406 a, 1406 c, and 1406 d) have only Ar flowingthrough them. Therefore, there would not be any deposition on thesubstrate under these three quadrants. As indicated, quadrant 1406 b hasAr and one or more deposition precursors flowing through it. Therefore,a material would be deposited on the substrate under this quadrant. Theprocess parameters can be varied among the four quadrants. Examples ofthe parameters comprise process material composition, process materialamounts, reactant species, processing temperatures, processing times,processing pressures, processing flow rates, processing powers,processing reagent compositions, the rates at which the reactions arequenched, atmospheres in which the processes are conducted, an order inwhich materials are deposited, etc. FIG. 14B illustrates the resultingthickness profile of the deposited material on the substrate using theshowerhead configuration discussed with reference to FIG. 14A. Theheight of the bars corresponding to quadrant 1406 b in FIG. 14Aindicates that a film was deposited under this portion of theshowerhead. Meanwhile, there is no discernable deposition in quadrants1406 a, 1406 c, and 1406 d. These figures illustrate how the segmentedshowerhead as discussed with reference to FIG. 6 can be used forcombinatorial processing of regions of the substrate.

FIG. 15 is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating an integratedhigh productivity combinatorial (HPC) system in accordance with someembodiments of the invention. HPC system includes a frame 1500supporting a plurality of processing modules. It should be appreciatedthat frame 1500 may be a unitary frame in accordance with someembodiments. In some embodiments, the environment within frame 1500 iscontrolled. Load lock/factory interface 1502 provides access into theplurality of modules of the HPC system. Robot 1514 provides for themovement of substrates (and masks) between the modules and for themovement into and out of the load lock 1502. Modules 1504-1512 may beany set of modules and preferably include one or more combinatorialmodules. For example, module 1504 may be an orientation/degassingmodule, module 1506 may be a clean module, either plasma or non-plasmabased, modules 1508 and/or 1510 may be combinatorial/conventional dualpurpose modules. Module 1512 may provide conventional clean or degas asnecessary for the experiment design. In some embodiments, the modulesinclude one or more combinatorial PVD modules. In some embodiments, themodules include one or more combinatorial ALD modules.

Any type of chamber or combination of chambers may be implemented andthe description herein is merely illustrative of one possiblecombination and not meant to limit the potential chamber or processesthat can be supported to combine combinatorial processing orcombinatorial plus conventional processing of a substrate or wafer. Insome embodiments, a centralized controller, i.e., computing device 1516,may control the processes of the HPC system, including the powersupplies and synchronization of the duty cycles described in more detailbelow. Further details of one possible HPC system are described in U.S.application Ser. Nos. 11/672,478 and 11/672,473. With HPC system, aplurality of methods may be employed to deposit material upon asubstrate employing combinatorial processes.

FIGS. 16A-16C are schematic diagrams illustrating various processsequences using combinatorial processing. Specifically, FIGS. 16A-16Care schematic diagrams illustrating the deposition of multilayer filmsusing a HPC PVD module as discussed with respect to FIG. 11. In FIG.16A, a first layer, 1604, is formed on a plurality of site-isolatedregions defined on substrate, 1602. In FIGS. 16A-16C, twenty-foursite-isolated regions are illustrated. However, as discussed previously,any useful number of site-isolated regions can be defined on thesubstrate. As illustrated by the different shading among the varioussite-isolated regions, one or more process parameters can be variedamong the regions in a combinatorial manner. For PVD depositiontechniques, example of process parameters that can be varied includematerial composition, power, pressure, substrate temperature, substratebias, target-to-substrate distance, reactive gas concentration, gas flowrate, co-sputtering versus nanolaminate deposition, and the like.

In FIG. 16B, a second layer 1606 is formed on the plurality ofsite-isolated regions defined on substrate 1602. As illustrated by thedifferent shading among the various site-isolated regions, one or moreprocess parameters can be varied among the regions in a combinatorialmanner. For PVD deposition techniques, example of process parametersthat can be varied include material composition, power, pressure,substrate temperature, substrate bias, target-to-substrate distance,reactive gas concentration, gas flow rate, co-sputtering versusnanolaminate deposition, and the like. Those skilled in the art willunderstand that the combinations of the first layers 1604 and the secondlayers 1606 allow the interactions between the layers to be investigatedacross a wide range of process conditions.

In FIG. 16C, a third layer 1608 is formed on the plurality ofsite-isolated regions defined on substrate 1602. As illustrated by thedifferent shading among the various site-isolated regions, one or moreprocess parameters can be varied among the regions in a combinatorialmanner. For PVD deposition techniques, example of process parametersthat can be varied include material composition, power, pressure,substrate temperature, substrate bias, target-to-substrate distance,reactive gas concentration, gas flow rate, co-sputtering versusnanolaminate deposition, and the like. Those skilled in the art willunderstand that the combinations of the first layers 1604, the secondlayers 1606, and the third layers 1608, allow the interactions betweenthe layers to be investigated across a wide range of process conditions.

FIGS. 17A-17C are schematic diagrams illustrating various processsequences using combinatorial processing. Specifically, FIGS. 17A-17Care schematic diagrams illustrating the deposition of multilayer filmsusing a combination of HPC PVD modules as discussed above, and HPC ALDmodules as discussed above. In FIG. 17A, a first layer 1704 is formed ona plurality of site-isolated regions defined on substrate 1702 using aHPC PVD process as discussed previously. In FIGS. 17A and 17C,twenty-four site-isolated regions are illustrated. However, as discussedpreviously, any useful number of site-isolated regions can be defined onthe substrate. As illustrated by the different shading among the varioussite-isolated regions, one or more process parameters can be variedamong the regions in a combinatorial manner. For PVD depositiontechniques, example of process parameters that can be varied includematerial composition, power, pressure, substrate temperature, substratebias, target-to-substrate distance, reactive gas concentration, gas flowrate, co-sputtering versus nanolaminate deposition, and the like.

In FIG. 17B, a second layer 1706 is formed on the plurality ofsite-isolated regions defined on substrate 1702 using a HPC ALD processas discussed previously. In FIG. 17B, four regions are illustrated.However, as discussed previously, any useful number of regions can bedefined on the substrate. As illustrated by the different shading amongthe various regions, one or more process parameters can be varied amongthe regions in a combinatorial manner. For ALD deposition techniques,example of process parameters that can be varied include materialcomposition, pressure, substrate temperature, precursor gas composition,precursor gas concentration, precursor gas pulse time, reactive gascomposition, reactive gas concentration, reactive gas pulse time, gasflow rate, and the like. Those skilled in the art will understand thatthe combinations of the first layers 1704 and the second layers 1706allow the interactions between the layers to be investigated across awide range of process conditions.

In FIG. 17C, a third layer 1708 is formed on the plurality ofsite-isolated regions defined on substrate 1702. As illustrated by thedifferent shading among the various site-isolated regions, one or moreprocess parameters can be varied among the regions in a combinatorialmanner. For PVD deposition techniques, example of process parametersthat can be varied include material composition, power, pressure,substrate temperature, substrate bias, target-to-substrate distance,reactive gas concentration, gas flow rate, co-sputtering versusnanolaminate deposition, and the like. Those skilled in the art willunderstand that the combinations of the first layers 1704, the secondlayers 1706 and the third layers 1708 allow the interactions between thelayers to be investigated across a wide range of process conditions.

CONCLUSION

Although the foregoing examples have been described in some detail forpurposes of clarity of understanding, the invention is not limited tothe details provided. There are many alternative ways of implementingthe invention. The disclosed examples are illustrative and notrestrictive.

What is claimed:
 1. A method for forming an article, the method comprising: providing a substrate; forming a reflective layer above the substrate; and forming a barrier layer above the reflective layer, the barrier layer comprising nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum, wherein a concentration of nickel in the barrier layer is between 5% by weight and 10% by weight, a concentration of chromium in the barrier layer is between 25% by weight and 30% by weight, a concentration of titanium in the barrier layer is between 30% by weight and 35% by weight, and a concentration of aluminum in the barrier layer is between 30% by weight and 35% by weight.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the barrier layer further comprises oxygen.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum are uniformly distributed throughout the barrier layer.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the barrier layer consists essentially of nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the barrier layer has a thickness of between 1 Angstroms and 100 Angstroms.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the barrier layer has a thickness of between 5 Angstroms and 30 Angstroms.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the barrier layer has a thickness of between 10 Angstroms and 20 Angstroms.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the barrier layer is deposited using physical vapor deposition.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the barrier layer is formed using co-sputtering of nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the reflective layer comprises silver.
 11. A method for forming an article, the method comprising: providing a substrate; forming a reflective layer above the substrate, the reflective layer comprising silver; and forming a barrier layer above the reflective layer, the barrier layer comprising nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum, wherein a concentration of nickel in the barrier layer is between 5% by weight and 10% by weight, a concentration of chromium in the barrier layer is between 25% by weight and 30% by weight, a concentration of titanium in the barrier layer is between 30% by weight and 35% by weight, and a concentration of aluminum in the barrier layer is between 30% by weight and 35% by weight, and wherein the barrier layer has a thickness of between 1 Angstroms and 100 Angstroms.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming a seed layer between the substrate and the reflective layer, the seed layer directly contacting the reflective layer and comprising at least one of ZnO, SnO₂, Sc₂O₃, Y₂O₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂, HfO₂, V₂O₅, Nb₂O₅, Ta₂O₅, CrO₃, WO₃, MoO₃, or a combination thereof in a crystalline phase.
 13. The method of claim 11, further comprising forming a dielectric layer between the seed layer and the substrate or over the barrier layer, the dielectric layer comprising at least one of TiO₂, SnO₂, ZnSn, or a combination thereof.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the dielectric layer further comprises a dopant, the dopant comprising at least one of Al, Ga, In, Mg, Ca, Sr, Sb, Bi, Ti, V, Y, Zr, Nb, Hf, Ta, or a combination thereof.
 15. The method of claim 11, further comprising: forming an additional reflective layer above the barrier layer, the additional reflective layer comprising silver; and forming an additional barrier layer above the additional reflective layer, the additional barrier layer comprising nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum.
 16. A method for forming an article, the method comprising: providing a substrate; forming a bottom dielectric layer above the substrate, the bottom dielectric layer comprising at least one of TiO₂, SnO₂, ZnSn, or a combination thereof; forming a seed layer above the bottom dielectric layer, the seed layer comprising at least one of ZnO, SnO₂, Sc₂O₃, Y₂O₃, TiO₂, ZrO₂, HfO₂, V₂O₅, Nb₂O₅, Ta₂O₅, CrO₃, WO₃, MoO₃, or a combination thereof in a crystalline phase; forming a reflective layer above the seed layer, wherein the reflective layer comprises silver; and forming a barrier layer above the reflective layer, the barrier layer comprising nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum, wherein a concentration of nickel in the barrier layer is between 5% by weight and 10% by weight, a concentration of chromium in the barrier layer is between 25% by weight and 30% by weight, a concentration of titanium in the barrier layer is between 30% by weight and 35% by weight, and a concentration of aluminum in the barrier layer is between 30% by weight and 35% by weight; and forming a top dielectric layer above the barrier layer, the bottom dielectric layer comprising at least one of TiO₂, SnO₂, ZnSn, or a combination thereof.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the barrier layer further comprises oxygen.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the barrier layer consists essentially of nickel, chromium, titanium, and aluminum.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the barrier layer has a thickness of between 1 Angstroms and 100 Angstroms.
 20. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming a diffusion barrier layer between the substrate and the bottom dielectric layer or above the top dielectric layer, the diffusion barrier layer comprising silicon nitride. 